Ovsky



Dec. 22, 1925. 1,566,526

J. B. DRAHONOVSKY TIMER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 13, 1920 Fatented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES atent PATENT crates.

JOHN B. DRAHONOVSKY, O13 MILVAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB T0 MECHANICAL PRODUCTION (30., OF MILWAUKEE, 'WIGGONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

TIMER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed March 13, 1920. Serial No. 385,546.

To all w/iom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. DRAHON- ovsKY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of IVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Timers for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specir'icatio'n.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in timers for internal combustion engines of that type having a series of fixed contact members spaced apart in a ring or casing of insulating material and having a revoluble contact member selectively engageable with the fixed contact members.

One object of the present invention is to provide a timer of the class described in whichthe contact carrying ring or casing is readily removable from the main casing and so designed that any novice can readily dissemble and assemble without disturbing the timing of the engine upon which it is used.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a timer of the class described in which the fixed contact carrying rin or casing is cast of glass or any other vitreous substance and the lug or projection formed thereon during the casting process provides means for preventing the securement of the fixed contact carrying ring in the outer casing in any position other than its proper working portion.

A further object of this invention residesin the provision of delineations or other markings upon the outer casing adjacent the terminal of each fixed contact, whereby the person connecting the timer with the engine wiring will have no diliiculty in connecting the wires with their proper contact terminal.

A still further object of the present inention resides in the novel. form of revoluhle contact member I employ having simple but efficient spring means for urging the same to engagement with the fixed contacts and having a contact roller provided with ball bearing journals, whereby friction is reduced to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom view, part in plan and part in section of my improved timer or commutator.

Fig. 2 is a view thereof, part in vertical section and part in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of my improved device, and

Fig. 4. is a view, part in section and part in elevation taken through the revoluble contact arm on the line 4-4; of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 5 designates a support which may form a part of the timer, or may be part of an engine cas ing. As shown, the support is provided with an annular flange 6 forming a recess for receiving the inner edge of the timers outer casing 7. The body portion 8 of the outer casing is of annular form and is closed at its outer side by a conical end portion 9, having an axial recess 10 for receiving the rounded end portion 11 of a member 12 which yieldingly holds the casing in the annular recess of the support. The body portion 8 has a plurality of equi-spa-ced slots or recesses 13 formed therein for the purpose hereinafter described.

The :asing 7 also has its portion 8 slit as at 14;, and is formed with a pair of opposing lugs or ears 15, provided with alined apertures for receiving an adjusting bolt 16, this construction readily detachably securing an inner casing or contact carrying ring 17 in the portion 8. The ring 17 has formed on its periphery a plurality of spaced laterally projecting radial hubs or lugs 18 for engagement in the slots 13 of the casing, and in each lug 18 is a central aperture to receive the shank 19 of a contact member 20 seated in a recess 21 formed in the inner periphery of the ring 17 at the termination of the part at each lug.

The shanks 1.9 of the contacts are extended outwardly of the ends of lugs 18 and are threaded to receive a securing nut 22 for securing the contacts in ring 17, knurled nut 23 also engaging the threaded portion of the shanks 19 for securing the terminals 24 of the various electrical wires 25 leading to the spark plugs of the engine upon which the timer is used.

My improved timer is especially adapted for use in connection with engines of the Ford type in which one of the wires 25 is blue, one is green,'one is red and the other is black, designating the various terminals of the coils (not shown) to which they are to be secured, and in the present instance the timer casing 7 hasdelineated thereon, as at 26, adjacent each recess 13 the particular wire to be connected with the terminal of the adjacent lug 18.

The ring 17 is preferably cast of glass or other vitreous substance and the lug or projection 27 which is formed at the point where the molten material is poured into the mold provides the means for insuring the proper positioning at all times of thering 17 wlthin the casing 7. The projection27 is positioned between two of the lugs 18 nearerone than the other and is engaged within a notch or recess 13. As will be readily understood, the recess 18' and the lug 27 being nearer one of the adjacent lugs 18v prevents the se curement .within the casing 7 of the ring 17 in. any other but the proper position.

The contact members 20 are engaged by a roller contact 28 which is carried by a roller arm 29 pivotally secured, as at 30, between two spaced crank arms 31carried by a collar 32 secured to a shaft 33 in gear connection with the cam or crank shaft, .(not shown) of the machine upon which the timer is employed. As usual, the shaft 33 is revolved at one-half crank shaft speed and the roller 28 selectively engages the contacts 20 to distribute the electrical energy to the spark plugs (not shown) of the various engine cylinders .in their proper firing order.

The roller 28 is provided with a ball bearing connection with the arm 29 by means of a double ball race way formed by the roller proper and outer collar members 34, whereby friction is reduced to a minimum. The roller 28 is held in resilient engagement with the inner periphery of the ring 17 by means of a substantially U-shaped spring member 35 formed of flat material bent in substantially U-shape, and having one end secured to the outer face of the arm 29, as at 36, and passing around the inner end of the arm and having its other end engaged against the collar 32, as depicted in Fig. 1.

The casing 7 is provided with a radially extending arm.37 to form a handle for adjusting the casing to advance or retard the spark with relation to the engine, of which the timer forms a part. My improved timer is especially designed to run dry and therefore eliminates the necessity of maintaining oil. within the timer which is the cause of considerable trouble due to short circuiting of the contacts by the oil.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will'be seen that my timer is a very simple construction, that the inner casing or contact carrying ring is readily detachable from the outer casing and that the inner casing is of hard wearing substance, that the same is so constructed that any novice can assemble the same and it will be impossible for him to arrange the parts in wrong position, and that thetimeris well adapted for the purpose described.

Vhat I claim as my invention is:

A timer, comprising an outer split casing having peripheral slots, an insulating member positioned within the casing and having portions which extend through some of the slots, said insulating member also having a positioning lug which extends through one of the casing slots, spaced fixed contact members mounted on the inner surface of the ring and having shanks which project outwardly through some of the extending portions, means for drawing the split portion of the casing into clamping cngagen'ient with the insulating member, and a rotatable contact member within the casing and engaging the fixed contact member in successive order.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature.

JOHN B. DRAHONOVSKY. 

